Jets Boost Defense, Pick Up Veterans Tufele and Nnadi on One-Year Deals
The Jets struck fast in free agency, adding defensive tackles Jay Tufele and Derrick Nnadi with one-year contracts at league minimum pay. A proven winner, Nnadi brings three Super Bowl…
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 29: Jay Tufele #97 of the Cincinnati Bengals looks on before the game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)The Jets struck fast in free agency, adding defensive tackles Jay Tufele and Derrick Nnadi with one-year contracts at league minimum pay.
A proven winner, Nnadi brings three Super Bowl rings from his time in Kansas City. The 28-year-old former Florida State standout has started 87 games, piling up 233 tackles while taking down quarterbacks five times.
Fresh from Cincinnati, the 25-year-old Tufele spent three years with the Bengals after Jacksonville picked him in 2021's fourth round. The USC product has stepped onto the field 34 times, collecting 44 tackles and splitting one sack.
Both men will fight for spots up front. Nnadi shines at stuffing the run: He ranked eighth among all tackles in 2020. Meanwhile, Tufele shows promise with strong hands and stands firm against two blockers.
These signings patch up thin spots in the Jets' front line. After struggling to stop runners last year, they'll welcome Nnadi's knack for clogging rushing lanes.
Despite missing 2020's college season due to COVID-19, Tufele turned scouts' heads. His pro day stats jumped off the page: a swift 5.02-second 40-yard dash and 30 strong bench press lifts.
They'll work alongside Phidarian Mathis and Leonard Taylor III, with more help possibly coming through the draft.
